Railway-switch.



No. 788,993. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

, T. K. BELL.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APYLIOATION-FILED DEO.1, 1904.

2 SHEBTS`SEEBT 1.

NITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905i PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS K. BELL, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM WHARTON, JR., & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 788,993, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed December l, 1904. Serial No. 235,092. i

T0 all whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, THOMAS K. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to certain improvements in tongue-switches in which the heel of the tongue is protected..

The object of my invention is to provide the switch with a fixed overhanging protector for the heel portion of the tongue and to provide means for the ready removal of the tongue from the body of the switch structure and also to provide means for properly supporting the heel portion of the tongue and for taking up any wear at the heel. This object I attain in the followingmanner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-w Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch structure having a pivoted tongue, illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a detached perspective view of the tongue. Fig. 3 is a plan View of a portion of Fig. l, drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig.- 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 44, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view on the line 6 6, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a plan view of part of Fig. 1 with the tongue removed, and Fig. 8 is a View on the line 8 8, Fig. 7.

In the present instance the switch structure consists of a cast-metal body portion A, having a hard-metal facing portion B. This facing portion is secured to the top of the body A by keys a a passing through lugs I; b, depending from the facing portion B. It will be understood at the outset, however, that while I prefer to use a separate hard-metal facing portion in some instances and without departing from the main feature of my invention the body of the switch structure may be made of one piece of cast or wrought metal or may be a composite structure made of rails or other shapes secured together in any suitable manner.

The hard metal facing portion B in the is mounted. The hard-metal portion Bis c'ut i awayvat b* in advance of the overhung heel portion, so that the switch-tongue can be readily removed.

The switch-tongue D is made as clearly shown in Fig. 2, having a depressed pivot d, the heel end of the tongue being cut away to allow the overhanging portion b3 to extend over the pivot. The under side of the overlapping portion ?)3 is tapered, so as to give it additional strength, and the upper surface of the pivot d of the tongue is beveled to conform therewith. The bevel of the pivot also allows of its ready removal from the body portion of the switch. In the present instance there is a projection 55 on the end of the overhanging portion 3, which bears directly on the tongue and holds it down, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. In order to retain the tongue in position and allow it to swing freely and pro- -vide means for its ready removal when necessary, I mount within the cavity A of the base A a bearing-plate E, having a horizontal portion e and a vertical portion e. This bearing-plate in the present instance is attached to the body portion A by means of bolts and nuts e2, and between the plate and the body portion is a filler f, of Babbitt metal or equivalent material, by which suitable support is given to the plate, or it may be so arranged that this filler also serves to hold the plate, or it may be fastened in any other way. This material also extends between the body portion of the structure and the hard-metal facing, as is now common in structures of this type. The plate is adjusted to the proper height before the filler is put in. The pivot d of the tongue is made as large in diameter as structure.

possible and has a flat under surface, so that it will be properly supported by the bearingplate E. This bearing-plate can be vertically adjusted when necessary. so as to accommodate it to the tongue. Mounted back of the pivotd is a segmental bearing-plate F, which has lugs at the back resting in recesses in the body A. This bearing-plate is backed by Babbitt or other metal. The plate F takes the end thrust of the pivot of the switchtongue. In order to hold the pivot to the bearing F, I provide a block G, recessed to fit the forward end of the pivot of the tongue. The back of this block is beveled, and between it and a beveled block Gr is mounted a wedge H. The block G rests directly against the vertical portions e' of the plate E. There is a cavity in the wedge H, in which is mounted a nut h, and the wedge is perforated for the passage of ascrew-bolt I. The threads of this bolt mesh with the threads of the nut, so that on turning the bolt the wedge will be moved longitudinally. l

The endz' of the bolt I rests in a seat in the side wall a ofthe box A2, which projects from one side of the body portion A of the switch This box `is open at the top and is provided with a removable cover a2. The head of the bolt I is perforated and in the present instance provided with a headed bar Il for tu-rning the bolt when the cap A2 is removed; but I do not confine myself to this particular construction. The bolt can be turned either to tighten the wedge, and therefore the bearing on the pivot of the tongue made to take up wear, or by loosening the wedge it can be withdrawn entirely into the box A2 and removed from the switch through the opening in the top of said box. After this the blocks G G themselves can be removed, leaving space for the tongue D to be moved forward, tilted up, and withdrawn from under the overhanging portion of the structure.

Thus it will be seen that I protect the pivot or heel portion of the tongue by an overhanging portion of the permanent structure, so that the pivot and heel portions of the tongue are protected from the blows of thecar-wheels passing over the switch, and there is a Erm bearing for the pivot of the tongue. Furthermore, the overhanging portion prevents the accidental throwing of the tongue between wheels through side pressure of the flanges against the switch-tongue at the heel. At the same time I provide ready means for removing the tongue from the switch without destroying the integrity of the switch, and, furthermore, provide means for adjusting and taking up the wear of the tongue-pivot bearing.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination inA a railway-switch, of a body having an integral overhanging portion at one end, witha switch-tongue having a depressed pivot arranged to pass under the overhanging portion of the structure, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a body portion having a permanent overhanging portion at the heel, a switch-tongue having a depressed pivot arranged to pass under the overhanging portion of the structure, and a removable bearing for the pivot, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having an overhanging portion at the heel; a switch-tongue having a depressed portion arranged t'o pass under the overhanging portion of the body, said tongue having a pivot projecting from said depressed portion, and a bearing-plate upon which the end of the pivot rests, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a switch structure, of a body recessed to receive a switch-tongue and having anoverhanging portion, a switchtongue having a depressed pivot so that when the tongue is mounted in; position the pivot will be under the overhanging portion of the structure, a bearing-plate upon which the bottom of the pivot rests, and means for vertically adjusting the bottom plate, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a switch structure, of a body recessed and having an overhanging portion at the heel, a switch-tongue mounted in the recess and having a depressed pivot extending under the overhanging pOrtiOn, a segmental iixed bearing at the back of the pivot, and a segmental removable bearing in front of the pivot, substantially as described.

6. The combination in a switch structure having a cavity for the pivot of a switchtongue, and having a portion overhanging the said cavity, a switch-tongue having a depressed pivot, said pivot mounted inthe cavity and under the overhanging portion, a segmental tapered bearingblock,atapered thrustblock, a wedge mounted between the two, and means for removing the wedge, substantially as described.

7. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having a cavity for the reception of the pivot of the tongue, and having a portion overhanging the cavity, a switch-tongue having a pivot mounted under the overhanging portion, and a removable bearing in front of the pivot and under the heel of the tongue, said bearing being removable laterally, substantially as. described.

8. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having a cavity for the reception of the pivot of the tongue, and having a portion overhanging the cavity, a switch-tongue having a pivot mounted under the overhang- `ing portion, a box at one side of the switch structure, and means accessible through .the

box for adjusting the bearing, said bearing being removable through the box, substantially as described.

9. The combination in a switch structure,

IOO

IIO

of a bodyportion having a cavity at the rear end and having a portion overhanging said cavity, a box at the side of' the structure communicating with said cavity, a switch-tongue having a pivot mounted in the cavity and under the overhanging portion, a fixed bearing for one part of the pivot, a removable bearing for the other part of the pivot, and means for adjusting the bearing, said adjustable bearing being removable through the box, substantially as described.

10. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having a cavity and an overhanging portion extending over a portion of the cavity, a bottom plate mounted in the cavity, a fixed bearing at the back of' the cavity, a switch-tongue, a pivot for said switch-tongue, the pivot of said switch-tongue resting in the cavity under the overhanging portion and upon the bearing-plate and against the segmental bearing, and a laterally removable bearing in front of the pivot, substantially as described.

11. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having a cavity at one end and having an overhanging portion extending over the cavity, a switch-tongue, a pivot for said switch-tongue mounted in the cavity, an adjustable bearing -block resting against the front of' the pivot, a thrustblock resting against the front Wall of' the cavity and extending up to the under side of the switchtongue, a wedge mounted between the two blocks, and a screw for adjusting the wedge, substantially as described.

12. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having a cavity and an overhanging portion extending over the cavity, the under surface of the overhanging portion being on an incline, with a tongue having a depressed pivot mounted in the cavity'and extending under the overhanging portion, the upper surface of the pivot being beveled to correspond with the under surface of the overhanging portion, substantially as described.

13. The combination in a switch structure, of a body portion having a cavity at one end, a hard-metal section mounted on the body portion and secured thereto, said hard-metal section forming the bed for the tongue and having an integral portion overhanging the cavity, with a switch-tongue resting on the hardmetal bed and having a pivot mounted in the cavity under the overhanging portion, substantially as described.

14. The combination in a switch structure, of a body portion having a cavity at one end of the structure, ahard-metal section mounted on the body and having a portion overhanging the cavity, a tongue having a pivot portion extending under the overhanging portion, a bearing within the cavity for the pivot of' thev tongue, and a box at one side of the structure communicating with the cavity and through which access may be had to the bearing of the,

pivot, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a body having a cavity for the reception of a tongue-pivot, a face-plate having a portion extending over the cavity and grooved for the flanges of the wheels, the said overhanging portion being integral with the facing-plate, substantially as described.

16. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having a cavity, a face-plate grooved for the iianges of the wheels and having any integral portion extending over` the cavity, a switch-tongue having a pivot mounted in the cavity, and means for fastening the face-plate to the body portion beyond the cavity, substantially as described.

17. The combination in a switch structure, of a body having a cavity, a face-plate grooved for the flanges of the wheels and having an integral portion extending over the cavity. a switch-tongue having a pivot mounted in the cavity, and means on each side of the cavity for fastening the face-plate to the body portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS K. BELL.

Witnesses: Y

WILL. A. BARR, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

